Warriors: The Crescent Moon: Book 1: Ripples
by xCrescentx
Summary: The four Clans, LeafClan, OceanClan, EmberClan, and GustClan, have been living in harmony for several moons now. But when Larchsong gets a dream from StarClan about horror and war each crescent moon, the peace is broken. Who can save the Clan cats?
1. Allegiances

**Hi! Thanks for reading my first series, Warriors: The Crescent Moon. I think there will be six books in this series, just like Erin's ;).  
If you have any comments, questions, or spotted a mistake in the story, please post in the correct chapter (or if it's about all of them, this chapter x)  
Well then, happy reading!  
Ali**

**I'm sorry (again) for not updating. I'm working on the missing chapters right now. School's starting again, so I haven't had time to post.**

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**ALLEGIANCES**

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**LEAFCLAN**

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**Leader --- Dewstar - **light grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes 

**Deputy --- Heatherclaw - **brown tom with a pale underbelly and amber eyes

**Medicine Cat --- Larchsong** - beautiful green-eyed calico she-cat

**Warriors** --- (toms, and she-cat without kits)

**Mousetail** - brown tabby she-cat

**Sundrop** - golden tabby she-cat with yellow eye  
**Apprentice, Skypaw**

**Blueleaf** - pale ginger she-cat with icy blue eyes

**Goldenpelt** - tan tom with amber eyes

**Blackfur** - black tom with matching eyes  
**Apprentice, Rosepaw**

**Whitestripe** - snowy white tortoiseshell she-cat  
**Apprentice, Lightpaw**

**Shadowclaw - **black tom with amber eyes  
**Apprentice, Yellowpaw**

**Apprentices --- **(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Skypaw** - grey tabby tom with green eyes

**Rosepaw** - light brown she-cat with dark patches and amber eyes

**Lightpaw **- very pale ginger tom

**Yellowpaw** - cream colored she-cat

**Queens --- **(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Dottedpelt** - pretty brown she-cat with a dappled pelt and green eyes, mother of Shadowclaw's kits, Nightkit and Dapplekit

**Koipool** - calico she-cat with dark grey eyes, mother of Goldenpelt's kits, Snakekit, Soulkit, and Mistkit

**Elders** --- (former warriors and queens, now retired)

**Firestorm** - dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

**Whiskerfoot** - grey spotted she-cat

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**OCEANCLAN**

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**Leader --- Rainstar** - whispy black tom with strange grey eyes 

**Deputy --- Fallentail** - ginger tabby tom

**Medicine Cat --- Tansyleaf** - dark brown tortoiseshell she-cat

**Warriors --- Barkclaw - **brown spotted tom with amber eyes

**Sightwhisker - **blind grey tom, but one of the best warriors in the Clan

**Tawnyheart** - ginger tortoiseshell she-cat  
**Apprentice, Dovepaw**

**Crowclaw** - black she-cat with green eyes

**Morningbreeze** - golden tabby she-cat

**Elders --- Minnowfoot** - calico she-cat with amber eyes

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**EMBERCLAN**

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**Leader --- Cometstar** - amber tabby she-cat with matching eyes 

**Deputy --- Forestifre** - dark brown tabby tom

**Medicine Cat --- Ivyflower - **ginger she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors --- Birdsong** - cream-colored she-cat

**Spiderheart** - black long-haired tom  
**Apprentice, Whitepaw**

**Streambreeze - **grey tabby she-cat

**Voleclaw** - slender brown tom

**Sparrowstep** - golden tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes  
**Apprentice, Heartpaw**

**Queens --- Flyingsoul - **silky silver tabby she-cat

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**GUSTCLAN**

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**Leader --- Breezestar** - silver tom with black eyes 

**Deputy --- Badgerpelt** - dark brown she-cat with black paws

**Medicine Cat --- Mosscloud** - small ginger and tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors --- Rabbitpounce** - white tom with grey paws

**Hazelpelt** - light brown tabby she-cat

**Grassripple** - brown she-cat with green eyes  
**Apprentice, Wingpaw**

**Cherrystream **- dark ginger she-cat with darker spots  
**Apprentice, Fernpaw**

**Queens --- Cinderfoot - **silver tabby she-cat with a white underbelly

**Elders --- Brookclaw** - grey tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

**Honeyfall** - golden tabby tom

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	2. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

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_Small flakes of snow began_ to rain down upon the she-cat standing in the midst of them, gazing at it silently. Her beautiful calico pelt ruffled in the chilly Leaf-bare wind, and frost collected on her green eye's eyelashes. She blinked, confused, and took a step foreward. Nothing happened. Looking up, a crescent moon shone brightly in a bright, cloudless sky speckled with thousands of stars.

"You've finally come, Larchsong," Larchsong jumped back, her pelt bristling. "We've been waiting for you for a while…we have a message for you." A delicate, young black tom stepped from the shadows, jumping and landing gracefully off of the rock he had been sitting on.

"R-Ravenheart?" Larchsong gasped, taking a step back. Ravenheart swished his tail patiently, signaling for the medicine cat to stay where she was.

"As I said," Ravenheart repeated. "I have a message to you from StarClan."

Knowing that she should trust him, since he _was_ from StarClan, she sat down shakily, and asked, "Wh-what is it?"

Ravenheart stared up at the sky, his blue eyes fixed upon an unseeable object unblinkingly, and meowed loudly in a new voice, "_When darkness's sky is clean as dew, and it's light is thin and curved, each cat's nightmare will become reality, but th__e dappled night can stop it all._"

Larchsong blinked, utterly bewildered and speechless. Ravenheart smiled at her, nodded and backed away. "Wai-!" she called, but before she could finish, the warrior had faded again. Suddenly everything went back. Larchsong shrieked shrilly, images of blood, foxes, badgers, dogs, claws, teeth and war flashed in her mind. She became dizzy with fright, and fainted.

A stream of foggy sun streamed into the den of bracken and ivy, causing the cat inside it to wake with a start. "What? Wh-what happened?" Larchsong gasped, jumping up and looking around with wide eyes. Beads of sweat clung to her pelt, and she sat back down, grooming herself.

_When darkness's sky is clean as dew, and it's light is thin and curved, each cat's nightmare will become reality, but the dappled night can stop it all. _The prophecy repeated itself in the she-cat's mind, and she shivered. What could it possibly mean?

Suddenly there was a yowl that came from outside the den.

"_Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highboulder for a Clan meeting!_"

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	3. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

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Dapplekit blinked her eyes open, aware of the meeting going on outside. _Our apprentice ceremony! Finally!_ She thought excitedly, and bolted away from her bed, towards her brother on the other side of the nursery. Noticing that he was still asleep, she crashed into him and batted his belly with sheathed claws. "Wake up, Nightkit Our ceremony's about to start!" Nightkit's eyes shot open. "Now? _Now?!_" he gasped. Dapplekit nodded enthusiastacely, and Nightkit wriggled away from her, heading towards the nursery entrance.

Dottedpelt suddenly appeared where Nightkit had tried to go threw, and scooped her kits up with her mouth. "You're not going out there looking like that!" she mewed, her voice muffled. Dapplekit and Nightkit whined angrily, and began to squirm around.

Sighing, Dottedpelt set them back down and began grooming them vigorously. "Good luck!" she purred when she was done, and followed them slowly as they pelted to the meeting place.

Dewstar stared down at her Clan proudly, her eyes gleaming in excitement. Dottedkit noticed Larchsong making a place beside Koipool and Goldenpelt, and their kits, Snakekit, Soulkit and Mistkit. The apprentices, Skypaw, Rosepaw, Lightpaw and Yellowpaw sat in a group, chattering excitedly, while Shadowclaw went to Dottedpelt, and they both walked towards Whitestripe and Blackfur. Dottedkit turned her attention towards the Highboulder, and saw Heatherclaw's eyes gleam as Mousefur went up to him. As much as she wanted to hear what they were saying, she knew that Dottedpelt was keeping an eye on her, and she would have to stay where she was.

The leader yowled, silencing everybody, and continued, "It is time for some kits to have their apprentice ceremony," Dapplekit saw Dewstar's eyes flicker towards them. "Nightkit and Dapplekit have reached their sixth moon. They have been well behaved, and I am sure that they will become great warriors later on."

The Clan murmurred excitedly, every one of them nodding in agreement. Dapplekit felt pride flood into her chest. Dewstar waited until everybody was quiet again until she went on. "Nightkit!"

Nightkit jumped, clearly startled to see that he was the first, and hopped under the Highboulder, a grin spread across his face.

"From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Nightpaw. You have been respectful to the warrior code all through the time you have been in the nursery, and I have decided to give you one of our best warriors: Blackfur."

Dapplekit was the first to chant his name before everybody else joined in. Nightpaw's eye's twinkled, his chest puffed out and his chin held high. He and Blackfur touched noses, and they sat back down, Nightpaw scurrying to his new place beside the apprentices.

"Dapplekit." Everybody fell silent immediately when the leader called the kit's name. "Please step forward."

Dapplekit padded towards the spot underneath Dewstar, her whole body shaking so hard that it made her fur quiver. She looked up hopefully, and glanced at Larchsong, then Blueleaf, knowing that if she couldn't have Blueleaf, or another experienced warrior as a mentor, then Larchsong would replace them.

"Dapplekit. You have been a great help to Larchsong, instead of a great bother. We have been discussing this and we have come to a final decision."

Dapplekit held her breath. _Now I'm certain I won't become a warrior's apprentice_. she thought, half excitedly, half sadly.

"From this day on, you will be known as Dapplepaw. Because of your knowledge or herbs at such an early age, and having dreams from StarClan already, your mentor shall be Larchsong."

Dapplepaw gazed at her new mentor as she weaved through the crowd to touch noses with her new apprentice. When they did, she saw a glimmer of hope and wonder in Larchsong's eyes, and pulled back when they suddenly were shadowed with fear. The calico she-cat blinked, confused, and padded closer to Dapplepaw. "Let's go to my den," she whispered. Dapplepaw nodded and followed her mentor, checking behind her to see the large crowd breaking up, and where Nightpaw nad Blackfur were going.

Before she knew it, she was in the den, in front of Larchsong.

"Sit," Larchsong meowed, and Dapplepaw sat. She gazed into her eyes, and saw a mixture of fear, worry and curiousity.

"Y-you've had some dream's right?" she asked. Dapplepaw nodded, and Larchsong took a deep, shuddering breath. "H-have you had any about a…a crescent moon?"

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	4. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

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Nightpaw bounced back to Blackfur, excitedly. "What are we going to do now? What are we going to do now?" he asked in one breath.

"Whoa! Calm down!" Blackfur purred, flicking his tail past Nightpaw's ears. "I'm going to show you around LeafClan territory, and the borders between OceanClan and GustClan." The black tom turned around and padded to the entrance to the camp. Nightpaw caught up with him, and sped past his mentor, skidding to a halt at the gap in the thorn barrier guarding the camp. Blackfur smiled appreciatevly and squeezed throug after Nightpaw.

"Let's go to the ManOak first. Follow my scent," he instructed, and began to run towards the stepping stones in a river, clearing it in a few graceful leaps.

"Wait! Blackfur!" Nightpaw called, staggering and slipping past the river. When he finally caught up with him, he panted, "Why is it called the ManOak?"

"Because…" Blackfur hesitated. "I hate to lie to you, but I've only heard stories about it when I was a kit, and I'm not sure if they were true, because they came from the apprentice. Anyway, they said that the Twolegs planted the oak where it is now when it was just a sapling, and began to water it and sprinkle some weird stuff on it." He shrugged, "We're almost there. Come on!"

The two cats reached a gap in the dense forest, covered with soft mud and lined in tall, brown grass. A massive oak tree stood looming in the center, its green leaves rustling rythmically in with the wind.

"Is that it?" Nightpaw whispered, wondering how close it was to the sky. "Can I climb it?"

Blackfur chuckled. "Maybe later. But now, let's go to the Arch. It's really tall, and you can climb there. Once you get to the top, if you look back, you can see the ManOak's top."

Nightpaw shivered with excitement. "Really?!" he gasped, his eyes widening. Blackfur nodded, and pelted to the right of where they were standing. Nightpaw raced after him. At the end of the clearing, layers of colorful, blooming heather covered the ground, along with holly and thorn bushes lining the trail.

Finally they reached a towering mountain, full of jagged edges for climbing and resting, and large clumps of fresh moss here and there. Nightpaw studied the Arch up and down, then asked, "Do we have time to climb it now?"

Blackfur shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's nearly sundown now. But we can go hunting for the Clan before the sun sets. Tomorrow we'll try to climb this, and explore the other parts of our territory."

Nightpaw frowned dissapointingly, then nodded. "Fine. Can you teach me how to hunt?"

Blackfur nodded. "That's exactly what I was about to show you," he meowed, and lifted his head, his jaws parted in an attempt to sniff the air. Nightpaw noticed his tail flick joyfully, and heard Blackfur whisper, "There's a mouse nearby. Stay still."

Nightpaw's eyes were intent on Blackfur, watching him drop into a crouch and carefully crawl towards his prey, taking each step with care. Finally, when he was close enough, he pounced, and landed squarely on the mouse's back. He bit it's neck swiftly and dropped it beside Nightpaw. "Now you try," he mewed encouragingly.

Nightpaw mimicked Blackfur, kneeling into a crouch and stopping to scent the air. _A vole!_ His first prey. This was a catch he couldn't miss. Nightpaw followed the scent trail delicately, being careful not to bring his tail too high up. When he spotted the vole hidden beneath a clump of bracken, he pounced and nipped it's head.

"Yes!" he squeeled in delight, throwing the vole high up in the air and catching it with his paws. "My first catch! Finally!"

Blackfur grinned. "Congratulations! It's about sunsent now. We should bring this back to camp."

"Okay," Nightpaw agreed, and placed the vole in his jaws. "I can't wait to eat this! I'm starving!"

"Fine. But after eating, be sure to remember to bring the elders freshkill, and change their bedding."

Nightpaw rolled his eyes, snorting disapprovingly. Finally they had reached the campus, and placed their prey in the freshkill pile, when suddenly he heard a scream from the nursery.

"My kits!!! _Where are my kits!?_"

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	5. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

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Dapplepaw blinked. A crescent moon? Why would Larchsong want to know something about a _crescent moon!?_

"N-no…" she replied slowly, yet akwardly. The apprentice noticed her mentor's eyes cloud in dissapointment.

"Ah," Larchsong whispered. "That's okay. But tell me immediately when you do." Dapplepaw nodded. "Anyway, let me show you the best spots to collect herbs around the territory. Follow me." With a swish of her tail, the medicine cat crawled out of their den, Dapplepaw hard on her paws. They made it to the camp entrance when Larchsong suddenly stopped.

"Are you okay?" Dapplepaw asked nervously. Her mentor was acting strange today. There was definitely something on her mind. "Is there something you need to say?"

Larchsong glanced over her shoulder with wide eyes. The only sound was the distant, hungry lapping of the river. _The water rose_. Dapplepaw thought. That would mean LeafClan and OceanClan, which was right on the other side of the water, might flood. But there was nothing to worry about. Whenever it flooded, the water never reached the Clan cat's bellies.

Suddenly Larchsong jolted a little, which snapped Dapplepaw back to her senses. "I-it's nothing," she stammered quietly. "Come on, we still have a long way to go."

The two medicine cats finally stopped at an old, rickety Twoleg nest. The scent of the Twolegs were stale, but Dapplepaw could smell fresh herb and prey smells. "Catnip and borage leaves grow richly around here," Larchsong lectured, flicking her tail towards a blooming stalk of catnip. "And don't be scared to enter the nest, too. It won't collapse, and spirits don't haunt it."

Dapplepaw gave an amusing smile. "Alright," she meowed. "What's the next best spot?" Larchsong flicked her ears and headed more north of the Twoleg nest. Dapplepaw turned around and slowly stepped over the delicate herbs. She nipped of a few stalks of borage for Koipool, then crunched over the fallen, rotting leaves of an oak tree nearby and followed Larchsong.

They had come closer to the part where the flooding river and ocean connected. Along the sandy bank, Dapplepaw could spot out a few bursting stocks of watermint, and countless bushes of juniper berries lining the edge of the forest. She could see why Larchsong loved to come here a lot.

A gasp escaped Larchsong's mouth. Dapplepaw jumped, her pelt bristling. "What? Did you see something?" she asked in one breath. Now she was sure it wasn't because the river was flooding. Her mentor gaped down at the water as it lapped at her feet. She stood rigid, frozen as ice. The she-cat could just make out the hairs on her tail and pelt standing on end.

"The crescent moon…" Larchsong whispered, barely even a breath. Dapplepaw had to strain her ears to hear what she was saying. "Is coming…in…3 days."

Dapplepaw glared at her mentor. What was getting to her? Why was she acting like bees were in her brain? She knew Larchsong was never like this. Not when she was a kit. "A crescent moon. Great. I love crescent moons. What about it?"

Larchsong didn't answer. Shrugging, Dapplepaw turned towards the direction to the camp. "I'm going back to put this borage away and give some to Koipool." When Larchsong didn't move, Dapplepaw stalked off and forced her way through the juniper berries, making most of them to drop off dully from their branches. Something was wrong with Larchsong, and she had to find out. Fast.


End file.
